Mind Your Manners: Online Auction Etiquette

Online auctions require a high level of trust between buyers and sellers. As a result, reputable auction sites enforce strict rules and invest a great deal of time and effort to avoid illegal or fraudulent behavior. In addition, most regular buyers and sellers adhere to both written and unwritten

Shill Game
One of the most serious auction offenses is called shilling, where a member assumes a false identity or uses a third party to inflate the selling price. Fraudulently inflating a member rating at an auction site also qualifies as shilling. In addition to being grounds for immediate expulsion from most auction sites, shilling is a form of fraud and is considered a criminal offense.

It is also illegal to post false or misleading product descriptions or pictures. This includes selling used or reconditioned items as new; making false claims about a product's specifications; or switching brand-name items with off-market substitutes.

In addition, the law requires you to ship your goods when promised, or within 30 days of the sale if you do not specify a shipping date. If you can't ship products within this time frame, you must agree to a different shipping date or let the buyer cancel their order.

The Popularity Contest
Many auction sites allow buyers and sellers to rate one another. This is an important tool for building trust; if a seller has a high satisfaction rating, buyers know they can expect quality service. Similarly, buyers earn high ratings if they pay for their goods on time and don't abuse sellers' guarantee and return policies.

Ratings can be a powerful incentive; many buyers and sellers won't deal with people who earn a lot of negative feedback. But it's also possible to abuse the system by posting false feedback or negative ratings to retaliate against another member. In addition to being pointless — eventually legitimate feedback will outweigh phony ratings — abusing the feedback process can get you removed from the auction site.

Seller's Remorse?
Finally, set your opening bid carefully and be prepared to accept the highest offer. Sellers who don't get the price they expected and then cancel the deal will get negative feedback. If you're concerned about low bids, set a high opening bid or reserve price — or don't hold the auction at all.